Therapy of a glamour kind is just the tonic

Christie at Oldham cancer patients given confidence-boosting personal makeovers by TV celebrity stylist Mark Heyes From left to right – Kath Howarth, Ann McIlwraith, Mark Heyes, Valerie Driver, Jane Clark and Tricia Hooson.

PATIENTS fighting breast cancer at the Christie Oldham have been glammed-up with confidence-boosting makeovers by a TV celebrity stylist.

Mark Heyes, who regularly appears on GMTV as their resident stylist, treated four women at the radiotherapy centre to one-to-one makeover sessions.

Mr Heyes also organised for the women to walk away with their outfits from Debenhams and Marks and Spencer.

Christie volunteer Valerie Driver, who herself runs personal stylist sessions for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, approached Mark who was more than happy to lend his expertise for the day.

Mrs Driver said: “To think Mark travelled up from London and gave his time for free to help these patients is amazing. The ladies smiled all day which was just wonderful to see and I can’t thank him enough.”

Kath Howarth (64), from Oldham, was diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram only weeks after retiring from her job as a teaching assistant.

She said: “The treatment at The Christie has been absolutely fantastic.”

Ann McIlwraith (57), from Rochdale, has just completed radiotherapy treatment at the Oldham centre.

The married mum-of-two said: “The day was excellent and Mark couldn’t have been more lovely. He brought me more up to date.”

Jane Clark (45) is undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

She’s also planning reconstruction surgery later this year and recently raised more than £1,000 for a cancer support group she attends.

She said: “It was absolutely brilliant and I learnt so much from it. We were made to feel so special and I really felt like a million dollars.

Tricia Hooson (59), from Littleborough, has just finished chemotherapy and will undergo radiotherapy at Oldham.

Mrs Hooson said: “The makeover session gave me a real morale boost as following surgery and chemotherapy. I was a lovely experience and huge thanks to Mark and Valerie.”
To read the full version of this story see the Chronicle’s E-chron digital edition or buy the newspaper.